Category Archives: Investment outlook

Fall Fashion’s Economic Forecast

A sampling of fall/winter women’s frocks does not make for an upbeat economic forecast.

Days After Rate Cut, S&P’s Flash PMI Sees Rising Inflation and Exhorts the Fed to “Move Cautiously” with “Further Rate Cuts”

S&P: “The “reacceleration of inflation” suggests “the Fed cannot totally shift its focus away from its inflation target.”

The Fed’s Reactive-Looking Half-Point Rate Cut

The Fed’s half point rate reduction was unseemly large. What gives?

Bloodletting in Semiconductor Stocks Kicks Off September: Nvidia -11.7% Regular & Late Trading, Stock Market Cap Drops by Half a Tesla

The Nasdaq Composite dropped 3.3% yesterday. If the tech stock index declines another 6.7%, it’ll be back to November 2021.

The Rate Cuts Powell Dangled in Front of Markets May Slam into Inflationary Fiscal & Economic Policies of Whoever Is in the White House Next Year

Are both parties set to continue stimulative fiscal policy, leaving Powell or a successor to reapply the monetary policy brake?

The Death of the Engineer CEO: Evidence that Short-Termism and Financialization Had Become Ascendant

A look at how some turning points in the history of Corporate America, such as CEO changes of guard, explain how America hollowed itself out.

“How Does OpenAI Survive?”

Ed Zitron explains in gory detail why OpenAI looks like the mother of all bezzles.

Despite the Recession-Emergency-Rate-Cut Buffoonery, the Services Sector Expands Strongly on Growth in New Orders & Employment. Inflation Pressures Still On

Services are two-thirds of the economy; as long as they’re firm, the economy will plug along just fine, even as manufacturing stalled

Eyepopping Factory Construction Boom in the US Reaches New Highs Amid Big Corporate & Strategic Rethink

New factory building shows that reshoring plans are translating into action. But how many will produce successful operations?

Economy Re-Accelerates in Q2. Our Drunken Sailors Splurge on Durable Goods, Investment Jumps, Federal Gov Undoes Blip

The US economy looks a bit perky. Party on! But will the Fed continue to apply the interest rate brakes?

AI Financial Crises

Yes, Virginia, AI, like older forms of automated trading, has a nasty propensity to cause crises.

US Election Risks and the Impact of Trump’s Re-Election Odds on Financial Markets

Some prognostications on how Mr. Market will react to election maneuvering and possible outcomes.

Analysis Shows How Surging Stock Buybacks Bolster Case for Corporate Tax Hike

The magnitude of corporate cash going to stock buybacks suggests reversing the Trump tax cuts poses little real economy risk.

Private Equity Becomes Roach Motel as Public Pension Funds and Other Investors Borrow As Funds Remain Tied Up

Oopsie! Private equity firms are hanging on to investor money for an unseemly amount of time! What to do?